


Exitus Acta Probat

by trinarydawn



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 00:59:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10888572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trinarydawn/pseuds/trinarydawn
Summary: A series of Ardyn pov short stories, focused on his side of the story, aka: what Ardyn is up to while he's not being an ass on screen. The first one is set before the events of Kingsglaive, and it will continue from then following canon for the most part.





	1. Sow the Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right before departing towards Insomnia to offer King Regis a peace treaty, Ardyn has an audience with Emperor Iedolas.

Sunlight. On my face. On my eyes. Damnation upon all, I thought I had closed the blinds. I was about to cover my face with the sheets and ignore my own mistake, but something felt… off. A faint rustle, as if someone was- the sudden noise of the blinds being rolled pulled me out of my thoughts. But of course, I had _not_ forgotten to close them: someone was opening them. “Curious,” I started, the amusement on my voice not the littlest bit feigned. “Yes, curious indeed,” I continued a few seconds afterwards, the sudden silence of having been caught taking possession of the intruder. “I seem to recall giving explicit orders that I was not to be disturbed. Mayhap I misremember? Surely my orders wouldn’t be so blatantly ignored.”

“Your memory is correct, sir” I heard shortly after, the hesitation and fear of the speaker showing in his speech. I thought I recognised his voice, one of the younger men in my service, accepted into the palace merely a few weeks ago.

“I thought so. What is, then, the meaning of this? Speak, my friend, do not fear” I said, intent on calming the obviously nervous servant. If I had to wait for him to gather the courage to speak by himself, I’d find myself waiting until the end of days.

“Y-yes, Your Grace,” started the youth. Hesitation was still deeply settled on his voice, but at least he was talking now. “His Imperial Majesty requires your presence, sir. He insisted that Your Grace stand before Him post-haste.”

Even with my eyes closed I could feel his on me, waiting for an answer. “Well then,” I replied. I sat on the bed and finally opened my eyes. “We should not make the Emperor wait, should we? Warn His Imperial Majesty of my coming,” I ordered, the mockery obvious in my words. “Dismissed,” I announced to the man. Once he had left I stood on my feet, arms extended, and basked in the unpleasantness of the sunlight. The day had not started as well as it could have, but something told me it would only improve from then on.

 

I finally walked out of my chambers, dressed in my usual attire and my steps quick. If something amazed me, that something was how little fashion had changed in all the years of my existence. For the higher classes, at least. Of course, materials had changed: new threads had been created, with different properties, but the aesthetic side of fashion had remained the same. All too lucky for me, since I was fond of my outfit, and having to don different clothes would have been quite unpleasant. It had served me well throughout the years, and I was, perhaps, a tad too sentimental. However, since that was one of the few things that I could allow myself to be, I had no plan to change it. And, besides, at the bottom of my soul, past all the layers of superfluous and passing emotions, what kept me going, what fuelled the flames that kept me on the road towards my goal, was, in essence, sentimentality; remembrance of times long gone.

I opened the door to the throne room, not caring the slightest about formalities. The Emperor didn’t much mind either, as long as I obeyed and delivered. That, to my amusement, seemed to annoy the rest of the court. Fools they were, the whole lot of them. Upon my entrance, the voices engaged in discussion faded, and silence engulfed the room.

“Chancellor”, he said, half greeting, half announcement. I could hear mild annoyance in his voice. “You are late,” he continued, his tone clearly demanding an explanation.

“My apologies, Your Majesty,” I started, and bowed as it fitted someone beneath the Emperor. Which, to his eyes, meant everyone. Though I disliked it, I could play the part when needed; keeping the position of Chancellor was as important as anything else in my plans. Niflheim and the Emperor needed me in order to achieve their goal, and they knew that. However, if I displeased the old man too much, he could start thinking he didn’t.

I looked up from my bow: the Emperor’s advisors were all frowning at me, but that was nothing unusual.  Unusual was who was with them. Or, rather, who was on screen. If the general was speaking to the Emperor, it could only mean one thing. I smiled, knowing what would come after my excuse. “I came as soon as I received word that I had been summoned,” I explained, and stood.

“As I was saying,” started Glauca, who apparently I had interrupted. “Our plan was successful. We are ready to proceed. The emissary should come to Insomnia as soon as possible to seize the advantage. For hearth and home,” he finished, using his own slogan as a goodbye. Another fool, he was. His image faded from the screen, which in turn disappeared into the ceiling.

“I assume I am to choose a suitable envoy?” I asked.

“That is correct. Choose now, and announce it,” replied one of the councillors.

I smiled at him, knowing my answer would be disliked by him and most of his colleagues. “I choose myself.”

A distinct “What!” came from one of the councillors.

“This is ridiculous,” said another man. A general murmur took over the room.

The Emperor rose a hand, calling the councillors to silence. “Explain yourself, chancellor.”

“Who better than myself?” I asked, the smile still on my face. I pointed to one of the men. “You?” My finger moved to another, and then to a woman. “Perhaps one of you two? No. Me. The envoy has to be someone relevant, so it should be one of us. His Imperial Majesty is too valuable. You, councillors, are too numerous: a single one of you would not be a bold enough move. That is why it must be me.”

The emperor seemed to deliberate. So did the councillors, though they were the first to speak. The eldest of them rose from his seat and looked first at me, and then at the Emperor. “We… see reason behind the words of Chancellor Izunia. If Your Majesty would support him, so would we.”

Iedolas nodded. “Go then. Dismissed.”

I bowed gracefully and left the room, still smiling. I set towards my quarters, ready to pack what little belongings I had. On my way there I stopped a servant and urged him to warn the mechanics about my departure, so that my transport would be ready.

Within minutes I, bag in hand, was on my way to the parking where my vehicle waited for me. The car unlocked with a clicking sound and I sat in the driver’s seat, started up the engine and smiled again. The journey ahead was long still, but not as much as it had been. With the wind at my back and the road before me, I allowed myself a sincere laugh; the first one since I had set to achieving my goal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this is the first chapter and basically an introduction, I haven't tagged much. I will be updating everything as I post new chapters. This one is actually not sad, or angsty, but it won't go on like that for long.


	2. Sine Ira | Festina Lente

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On how Ardyn spends the day of the peace offer and the day Noctis left Insomnia, the eve of the signing of the treaty. Or, how Ardyn creeps on the chocobros and becomes a bit impatient, deciding to jump from one day to another.

I walked out of the Lucian throne room, my face still intent on keeping the charade, and set myself on the path to the main gate. The walk up the stairs had been quite punishing on my bad knee, what with the guards setting the pace, and the palace had changed way too little for me to avoid the comeback of painful memories. The knowledge that it would soon fall brought me scant comfort, for the betrayal that I loathed had come from the people whose descendants inhabited the palace, not the structure in and of itself. In fact, the inevitable destruction of Insomnia was, to my eyes, the biggest tragedy that would come from this war: a city so magnificent, paragon of progress, to be reduced to mere rubble. Such was, however, the price of justice and revenge.

Truthfully, it had taken me some time to come to terms with that. But it had been centuries since my resolution had last wavered. Now, as the end drew near, I kept close to my heart what I had been told so long ago: the end justifies the means. If only he knew… oh, how he would cry.

A stern “sir” drew me from the deep of my mind, and back into the world. A guard had been following me, and now he had stepped between me and a door.

“Yes, my young escort? What is it?” I questioned, with a smirk on my face and a tone implying that I thought of him as little else than a toy soldier, a pretend threat and a mere formality.

The man breathed in. “The King has allowed for you to remain in the palace until he and the council make a decision, and a room is being prepared as we speak, so-

“I am truly thankful to King Regis for the gesture, but it won’t be necessary”, I interrupted. “My accommodations have already been arranged. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” I said as I pushed the young man to the side, intent on continuing my path. “I intend to continue my walk. Alone,” I finished, proceeding to step through the door.

A few minutes later, I exited the palace through the main door, and set course to the Caelum Via hotel, where I was supposed to be staying. I took my time in getting there, not wanting to punish my bad leg any further today.

Once at the hotel, I instructed one of the bellboys to pick my car up from the palace parking, checked in with the receptionist, and walked up to my room. I didn’t have much time to relax, however: Glauca had informed me of the plans concerning Noctis. It seemed Regis had heeded the whispers, which was good. The prince couldn’t be in the city during its fall, it was too risky. Of course, the Emperor couldn’t know about the escape of the royal heir, lest he decide he suddenly cared about the fate of the Lucian royalty and wanted to capture him. Therefore, I had instructed the general to report exclusively to me, under the excuse that Iedolas didn’t want to be associated with the attack, under any circumstances. The fool had believed it.

Unfortunately for Glauca, it also meant he would have to die during the fall of Insomnia. It would be one less loose end, and the emperor could easily be swayed into placing young Ravus at the front of the army. His position there was paramount: his zeal to kill the astrals was only matched by mine, which ensured he would go along with any attempts to destroy them and, when the time came, he would be a suitable candidate to receive the blame for the failure of the imperial army to capture the prince.

I knew things would go as planned: a spy would sabotage the Regalia, preventing the prince from advancing much before the fall of Insomnia. The army would immediately be ordered to search for him, especially since it wouldn’t have an official leader until the general’s death was confirmed, and I needed the army to stay in the mainland, where Titan and Ramuh resided. This meant that Noctis would have to stay there too. It also meant making sure no ferries sailed from Galdin Quay, at least for a while. That was all already arranged. I did not need to take care of much else. And yet, I felt the urge to pay a visit to the regal son.

I knew I should not. I knew it would bring me pain. I knew. _You are a fool_ , I said to myself as I opened a stitch in time and forced myself through it. I located the prince on the stream of time and opened a window. And then I watched. I did nothing else. I watched the prince and his friends. I watched the car break down. I watched them push it to Hammerhead. I watched the innocence, the happiness, the love and friendship they shared for each other. It was pure, and beautiful. I felt my fist tighten, and I pulled myself from the timestream back into my hotel room on the eve of the signing. I would not waste two millennia of preparation in a fit of rage.

I took a deep breath, and then another. The prince had to grow. He had much left before he could take the mantle of the King of Light. He needed to grow, and strengthen the bonds that tied him to his friends. And I would make sure that he did, and that he hurt while doing it. I would take the ones he loved the most, and make sure he blamed himself for every second of their agony. I would leave him at the brink of utter despair. The young Prince Noctis would become the King of Light, and he would suffer for it. Every single step of the way. And I knew who to start with. I smiled as I reclined in the hotel bed and, from another window I had opened to the friends, heard the poor soul complain in disgust about insects. Oh, I would enjoy breaking that one.

Knowing I had to rest for the celebration of this night and the ceremony of the next day, I undressed and got into a comfortable position in the bed. Anger would serve me soon, but not yet. Not today. I closed my eyes, and let myself fade for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The number of days that pass between Ardyn gets to Insomnia and Noctis leaves/the signing occurs is a bit hard to guess, but I tried my best. For clarification: the chapter starts with Ardyn's arrival, which is day 1. Then he skips to day 2, which is noctis' departure. Day 3 would be the signing/the fall of Insomnia, which is not part of this chapter.


End file.
